DS266 
.S54 
























'^'' ♦ 






^"-^t. .- 








'^^„.^'^' - 













7i* A 






A VIEW 
PERSIA 




BY 



S. K. Shabaz 



a^d 



-tr 



Copyright 1909, by S. K. Shabaz 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two CoDies Received 

JUN 3 IdUi^ 

„ Copyrignt Entry ^ 
CLASS A ^^C. No. 
■ 'COPY 6/ 






FOEEAVOED. 

This booklet is written with the object of bringing 
before the world the great need of Persia. It is 
written, I believe, in a Christian spirit, and with the 
prayer that it may be read in the same spirit. I 
have tried to picture life in Persia just as it is. 
May its reading be blessed in a very real way to all 

into whose hands it may fall. 

The Authok. 




S. K. SHABAZ 



CHAPTER I. 

The Land. 

situation. 
Persia, ''the Land of the Lion and the Sun/' is 
situated in the western part of Asia, bordering the 
Caspian Sea on the north, the Persian Gulf on the 
south, Afghanistan on the east and Asiatic Turkey 
on the west. 

AKEA. 

It is 900 miles from west to east and 700 miles 
from north to south, and covers an area of 648,000 
square miles. 

Its native name is Iran. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

In general the country is flat, the central portion 
being an elevated plateau some 3,800 feet above sea 
level. The great Elburz chain of mountains passes 
through the north of the country. These mountains 
have an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level and 
are snow-topped all the year round. Twenty miles 
from the town of Teheran rises the mighty peak of 
Demavend, which reaches a height of 20,000 feet, 
while on the west and south also Persia is protected 
by mountain ranges. The principal rivers are the 
Tigris, Euphrates (familiar to Bible students), the 
Aras or Araxes, Cyrus, Acampis and Halys. 

TEANSPOETATION. 

Persia has no railroad, traveling being done al- 
most entirely either on horseback or by carriage, and 
even this mode of travel is difficult and dangerous 
owing partly to the bad state of the roads and partly 



to the bands of robbers that infest the country. 

In striking contrast with this the City of Teheran 
is equipped with telegraph, showing evidence of the 
entrance of western civilization. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of the country is temperate, there 
being no extremes either of heat or cold. Snow falls 
heavily during the winter season but does not re- 
main long on the ground, while the summers are 
long and pleasant. Spring and Pall are the rainy 
seasons. 

CITIES. 

In early times the capital city was Shushan, but 
later it was moved further north to Teheran, where 
it still remains. A century ago Teheran was a city 
of only 15,000' inhabitants but the removal of the 
capital there gave it a great impetus and it now has 
a population of 250,000 and is in many respects a 
modern city. Other prominent cities are Tabriz, 
Urmia, Ispahan and Kermanshah. 

PKODUCTS. 

The land is very productive. Here are found the 
finest grapes — and wheat — produced anywhere in 
the world, besides barley, rice, cotton, sugar-cane, 
potatoes, sweet corn, etc. Flowers bloom in pro- 
fusion, among them being the marigold, hollyhock, 
violet, tulip and rose. Someone has said that ' ' Per- 
sia is a paradise, intoxicating people with the frag- 
rance of its roses. It is a garden, wreathing the 
faces of mankind into smiles by its beautiful 
streams. ' ' 



From the beauty of the land, its situation, its 
rivers and its wonderful fertility, it is believed by 
very many that Persia is the site of the Garden of 
Eden. 

The wild animals of the country include the tiger, 
wolf, jackal, wild boar, etc., while among the domes- 
tic animals are found the horse, camel, buffalo, cow, 
mule and sheep. 

The mineral wealth of the country is at present 
undeveloped and it has no large industries. 

The principal exports are silk, Persian rugs, to- 
bacco, cotton and wool. 

HISTOKY. 

Persia is the only country of ancient times which 
today retains its position as an individual nation. 
Her history dates back to 2050 B. C, when she was 
added to the Assyrian Empire by Ninus. She has 
numbered many brilliant men among her kings, in- 
cluding Cyrus, in whose reign the Jews returned to 
their" own land after the captivity. 

Perhaps the most interesting part in her history 
from a modern standpoint is that relating to her re- 
lationship with Judah and Israel at the time of Cyrus 
and Daniel. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Persia was one of the last absolute monarchies. 
Up to within a few months ago the Shah was abso- 
lute monarch of the country, though here as well as 
in other Mohammedan countries his power was in- 
fluenced and limited by the religious head of the 
country. 



LAWS. 

Persian law is divided into two parts, the Shahr 
and the Urf. The Urf is the secular law, the Shahr 
the religious law. Of the two the Shahr has the 
more power. It is administered by the priests and 
is based upon the Koran. It is very exacting and 
detailed as may be judged from the fact that there 
are about 625 rules for sales, and over 1,400 for 
subjects of marriage and divorce, while it of. course 
touches the religious life of the people also. Penal- 
ties for the breaking of the law are very severe. 

CHAPTER II. 

The People. 

The present population of Persia numbers 10,- 
000,000 and is made up of a number of different 
races. In general the people may be divided into 
two classes, the dwellers in towns and villages and 
the dwellers in tents, the latter numbering nearly 
2,000,000 and including Arabs, Kurds, Leks, Turks, 
etc., while the former include Assyrians, Chaldeans, 
Hebrews and Armenians. 

The Assyrians, numbering about 50,000, are per- 
haps the most intellectual of the people of Persia. 
The history of their entrance into Persia is very in- 
teresting. In early days they were a self-governing 
and independent people. Through contact with 
Israel, they came to have a knowledge of Jehovah, 
and many^ accepted Him as God and worshipped 
Him. Though at first persecuted severely by their 
fellow-countrymen, they kept true to their new faith 



and in time schools of theology were formed by 
them. During this period their country prospered 
greatly and so strong was their zeal for Jehovah 
that missionaries traveled as far as China, Japan 
and India with the good news, accomplishing most 
of the journe}^ on foot in the absence of other means 
of transportation and sometimes taking three years 
to reach their destinations. Then defilement crept 
in and the Assyrian nation lost its power, and came 
under the control of its enemies with the result that 
those who worshipped Jehovah came under terrible 
persecution and had to flee to the mountains. Here, 
thoufifh exposed to the cold of the winter and tor- 
mented by huns-er and thirst, they remained true to 
their faith. After a while the Shah of Persia in- 
vited these persecuted Assyrians to settle in his 
country, where they have lived to this day. To this 
day there exist in Persia copies of the sacred writ- 
ings of these ancient Assyrians who thus suffered 
for the faith. While at school one of the tasks of 
the author was to translate one of these books, ''The 
Book of Hebrew," from the Old Assyrian to the 
modern Assyrian language. 

Most of the soil of Persia is in the possession of 
the nobility, one noble sometimes owning as many 
as a hundred villages. The nobles have not obtained 
their i30sitions of wealth and power through any 
special service to their country or any special fit- 
ness on their own part for the position. The posi- 
tion is hereditary, descending from father to son 
without any special regard for the fitness of the in- 
cumbent, and as a consequence the nobility of Per- 



sia includes many degenerate and ignorant men. 
The titles may also be, and in many cases are, pur- 
chased by rich men for their sons. The nobles do 
not work. According to the custom of the country 
they exact from their tenants such proportion as 
they wish of the proceeds from their farms, such 
proportion usually being a half or two-thirds, in 
addition to which the tenant must pay certain taxes 
and fees and provide a certain amount of fuel for 
the noble's house annually. To all intents and pur- 
poses the possessions of the tenants belong to the 
landlord. Legally he may claim three days of labor 
annually from his tenant, but actually he demands 
just as much as he wants, and when visiting his 
tenant he appropriates whatever he takes a fancy 
to. The natural consequence of such a system is 
that the nobility of the land are immoral and degen- 
erate, in fact they are the most immoral class in 
Persia, and are almost wholly without learning. 

CHAPTER TIL 

Domestic Life. 

, The domestic life of Persia is far behind that of 
the West, indeed it might almost be said that to a 
great extent the Western idea of ''home" is alto- 
gether missing. 

In general the houses are divided into two parts, 
one of which shelters the family and the other the 
stock, though in some cases the same room shelters 
both the family and the animals. Four generatiops 
will sometimes live in one -room. The houses- are 



built of brick and stone, with windows, not in the 
sides, but in the roof. This is both to make the 
house easier to keep warm during the winter and to 
serve as a protection against robbers, who are very 
numerous. In summer the night air is very pleas- 
ant, and it is quite a common thing for the people to 
sleep on the roofs of their houses during this season. 
There is but one door, which is kept locked at night. 
For protection also the houses are built very close 
together in villages and for cases of emergency at 
night a secret hole is provided in the wall through 
which neighbors may be spoken with. Such a |)re- 
caution is necessary as night attacks by robbers 
on houses are very frequent. Lumber being very 
scarce in the country, the floors of the houses are 
of earth covered with grass, over this mats are 
spread, then a large carpet and finally rugs. No 
chairs are used, the people sitting on the rugs, 
which are scattered about on the floor. On entering 
a house men always remove their shoes, as men in 
America remove their hats. The fireplace is situ- 
ated in one corner of the room. It is composed of a 
large dried clay bowl or pot, four to five feet high 
and two feet across. This is sunk into the ground, 
fresh air being supplied by a small channel under- 
neath the floor of the house. The fire is kindled each 
morning and enough fuel placed on it to keep it 
burning till the next day. After some hours the 
wood in the fire ceases to smoke and then a large 
table is brought and placed over the fireplace. On 
this table heavy rugs are placed and during the win- 



ter the household gathers round this table for 
warmth. 

The one fireplace serves for heating and cooking. 
Bread is baked every day. The dough is spread out 
in thin sheets and these are slapped against the hot 
sides of the fireplace until baked. When fresh it is 
very good eating. 

Meals are eaten seated on rugs around a cloth 
spread on the floor. Spoons only are used for eat- 
ing, knives and forks being almost unknown in the 
country. Wine and whiskey are drunk with the 
meals and while eating a large pipe called the 
''water-pipe" is passed round the table, each mem- 
ber of the family smoking in turn. The men and 
women do not sit down to eat together, men eat 
first and the women after the men are through. There 
is always enough food and a welcome for an un- 
expected visitor. The common peasants have four 
or ^ve meals a day. 

During the summer it is customary for the house- 
hold to take tea at about 4 or 5 p. m. seated on the 
grass in the vineyards. 

Ordinarily the peasants only work during the 
summer months. The winters are spent largely in- 
doors. Their work during the summer is largely 
confined to their own farms and many of them have 
never in all their lives been more than five or six 
miles from their homes. As a consequence there is 
practically nothing known of the outside world. 

The women work all the year round, making rugs, 
cloth, etc., in the winter and tending the gardens in 
the summer. All the food is prepared by the women. 

12 



The birth of a child is a time of great interest 
in a Persian household. The birth of a boy causes 
great rejoicing, both in the home itself and among 
the relatives and friends. Congratulations are re- 
ceived and great festivity marks the occasion. The 
birth of a daughter, however, causes no such re- 
joicing. On the contrary, it is received with mourn- 
ing and sadness. No congratulations are received 
cind the parents do not welcome the new arrival. 
Even the mother grieves over her ill-fortune while 
the father looks upon the unfortunate mother as an 
objsct of hatred because she has borne him a girl- 
child instead of a boy. The poor little mite of 
humanity receives very little care. On the other 
hand the boy is taken every care of, and precau- 
tions are used to prevent him from falling under the 
influence of the ''evil eye." The mother will not 
allow anyone to praise him and leaves him dirty lest 
because of his good looks the "evil eye" should 
bring illness or death to him. The parents seldom 
devote much of their time to the education of the 
children beyond teaching them as early as possible 
to recite the formula, "I testify that there is no 
Deity but God, and I testify that Mahomet is God's 
Apostle." Religious pride is, however, instilled into 
him and he early learns to hate any other religion 
than his own. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Schools in Persia. 

Until missionaries entered the country the only 
schools in existence were the Mohammedan schools 
for bovs onlv. 



These schools are common to all Mohammedan 
countries. Here the pupil is taught to read and 
write, and to learn the ninety nine names of God 
known to Mohammedans. When he has made some 
progress in his studies he is given the first and last 
chapters of the Koran in Arabic to read, and though 
he may not understand a word of what he has read, 
his education is finished. To be able to read a sin- 
gle Persian book marks one as being a man of very 
liberal education. 

The class-room in Persia would seem very strange 
to an American. The teacher, who is himself usu- 
ally a man of very little learning, seats himself on 
the floor with the pupils seated round him in a ring. 
While studying the students sway their bodies back- 
wards and forwards and repeat their lessons in a 
sing-song chant which can sometimes be heard at 
quite a little distance. Writing is done with reed 
pens on paper, and as a rest for the paper the pupils 
use their right knees, putting the left knees on the 
floor and supporting themselves in this uncomfort- 
able position. 

In addition to the schools just described the Mo- 
hammedans have some divinity schools. These are 
presided over by priests and are held in the mosques. 
In these schools the pupils are taught to read the 
Koran and some poetry and are given as much in- 
struction as possible in astrology. The grace of 
loving one another is not taught in these schools and 
the pupils as a consequence quarrel very frequently. 
The weaker pupils receive no protection from the 
teacher, who on the contrary urges them on to re- 



taliation. Encounters between the jDupils of the 
different mosques are frequent. 

Mohammedan pupils are punished very severely 
by their teachers when occasion demands. It is 
common for a peasant to say to the teacher when 
he takes his boy to school, ^'His bones are mine, but 
his flesh is yours. Teach him and punish him as 
you see fit." It is not surprising considering all the 
conditions that the Mohammedan boy grows up with 
very little respect for the feelings of others. 

Wlien the missionaries came they tried to start 
other schools and though opposed by the Moham- 
medans they were ultimately successful in starting 
schools for boys. After a while the demand for edu- 
cation grew and schools for girls were also erected. 
The schools are for the most part about on an equal 
footing with our common schools, but there are 
some more advanced institutions where teachers 
and -preachers are educated. Students graduating 
from these higher schools usually return to their 
home districts and teach the smaller schools. Their 
salaries for this work would look small to an Amer- 
ican school teacher as they only receive about $5.00 
a month for their services and even this is not paid 
by a responsible board but is paid by the pupils 
themselves. The method of payment by the pupils 
is interesting and illustrates the difficulty the poorer 
classes of Persia meet with in trying to obtain an 
education. The pupils pay a certain sum per month 
for each subject studied. Under this system the 
children of the rich can afford to take ^ve or six 



subjects a day, while the poorer boys and girls can 
take only as many as they can afford. 

The curriculum of the higher schools is as fol- 
lows : 

1st. year. Arithmetic, spelling, penmanship and 
the Bible. 

2nd year. Spelling, grammar, penmanship, the Mo- 
hammedan language and the Bible. 

3rd year. The Mohammedan and English lan- 
guages, arithmetic, old Assyrian literature, cor- 
respondence, and the Miedo-Persian study of the 
Grospel of John. 

As in America, the school terms last only through 
the winter, but they are much shorter than here, be- 
ginning in November and closing at the end of 
March, the remaining 7 months being vacation. 

There are two school sessions daily. Morning 
school opens at 9 a. m. and closes at noon. After- 
noon school opens at 2 p. m. and closes at 5 p. m. 

As in the Mohammedan schools, there are no 
desks or chairs, the pupils all sitting on the floor 
around their teacher, and reciting their lessons 
aloud. As they are not all studying the same les- 
son, the noise and the confusion caused by this oral 
method may be better imagined than described. 
Some of the brighter students have been of great 
assistance to the missionaries in translating the 
Assyrian manuscripts into English. 

16 



CHAPTER V. 

The Position of Women in Persia. 

In common with other Mohammedan countries, 
the lot of women in Persia is a very pitiable one. 
The policy of the Mohammedans is to keep the 
women ignorant, and consequently there are no 
schools for girls at all, very few women even in the 
highest circles of society being able to read or 
write. As a consequence, women know nothing of 
what happens outside except what their husbands 
or male relatives choose to tell them, and they can 
have no communication even with their friends. It 
often happens that during a husband's absence the 
wife has to employ a priest to write a letter for her 
and again to read her husband's reply when it 
comes to hand. 

The indoor costume of the women consists of full 
divided skirts or bloomers reaching to the knees 
and leaving the legs and feet bare, but lately black 
or white pantaloons have found favor. The head 
covering consists of a square of cloth tied under the 
chin. 

Wlien out walking the women wear a long blue 
wrap covering their entire bodies, the face being 
hidden by a linen veil in which two small holes have 
been cut for the eyes. As all women are dressed 
alike for walking it is impossible even for a man to 
recognize his wife as a general thing should he meet 
her. 

Women are not allowed to speak to men on the 
street, not even to their own husbands. Should 

17 



they wish to speak to each other they must draw 
aside where they cannot be seen. The veil over the 
face is worn to prevent the face being seen by a 
man. Fashions. do not change as they do in Amer- 
ica. ,_ ' ^ ' .' ' '/ ^ ■ ■ - , - 

At gatherings of men, women are not allowed to 
appear, while men are excluded from gatherings of 
women. When the women gather together they 
paint their faces and blacken their eyelashes and 
eyebrows with antimony, while the hair is dyed with 
henna and plaited into long braids. Necklaces and 
charms are worn around the neck and bangles and 
bracelets oi^ the arms. - . 

" Among the richer classes most of the women are 
idle, but the women of the poorer classes work very 
hard. Let us follow one of them through an ordin- 
ary summer day's work. Rising in the early morn- 
ing she does the milking (women always do the milk- 
ing in Persia), and her general housework; then 
taking her sickle she goes out into the fields an,d 
spends the day cutting weeds, and in the evening 
returns home carrying on her back a five-foot square 
of canvas filled with grass for the cows and buffa- 
loes and their young. Widows do the harvesting, 
weeding, sewing, spinning, etc. 

The famous Persian rugs and shawls are chiefly 
made by the women of the middle classes. The yarn 
is spun and dyed at home. A single rug will take 
three or four months to complete. 

18 



Equality between husband and wife is an un- 
known thing in Persia. The wife is the absolute 
slave of the husband's pleasure and comfort and so 
long has this been her lot that she does not dream of 
such rights as women in Christian lands possess. 

In time of sickness the position of the Persian 
women is pitiable in the extreme. Here perhaps 
more than at any other time in her life her condition 
will appeal to her American sisters, and this is true 
not only of the women of Persia, but of women all 
through the Orient. Several things contribute to 
this. In the first place all through Mohammedan 
countries there exists a spirit of fatalism. The 
Moslem will accept reverses and misfortunes with 
the word ''Kismet" or ''Fate," meaning that the 
things that come could not possibly have been 
avoided and that it is no good trying to fight off the 
inevitable. Sickness is thus accepted with resigna- 
tion, for if the sufferer's fate be to live she will live 
without human aid, while if her fate be to die, she 
will die no matter what efforts are made to bring 
about her recovery. Again the people of the Orient 
almost universally believe that sickness is the result 
of demon possession, and the Moslems treat sick- 
ness therefore not by trying to cure the body but 
by making the body so uncomfortable that the evil 
spirits will not want to stay in it, and this is accom- 



plished both by torture and by the neglect of proper 
medical treatment. But the fact that Mohammedan 
women are secluded, not allowed to be seen, is the 
most potent of all in making sickness a terrible 
thing indeed for her. Men may not see her face 
and must diagnose the case without this most im- 
portant factor, and as a consequence, even should a 
doctor be called in, which i-s not always the case, the 
chances for recovery are very remote should the 
sickness be at all a serious one. But the chances of 
recovery are made markedly smaller by the fact that 
the native doctor of the Orient has little or no 
knowledge of medicines, and relies mainly on super- 
stitions, charms, incantations and the like. For in- 
stance, in the case of a fever the native doctor may 
order that a chicken be killed. This having been 
done he uses its blood to write a charm and pre- 
scribes that the patient burn that charm, put the 
ashes of it in a cup of water and drink the water. 
That completes his treatment. The dead chicken 
forms his fee. To tie seven knots in a white thread 
and wear it round the waist for fifteen to twenty 
days is another remedy for fever, while yet an- 
other is to remove the clothing and jump into cold 
water before breakfast. 

Should cholera, small-pox, or some other epidemic 
come to a town or village the women are helpless. 

20 



The men may flee to the mountains to escape the 
disease, but the women and children are left to their 
fate, and it is no uncommon thing under such cir- 
cumstances for them to fall down and die without 
any assistance at all, no one to even so much as 
give a cup of cold water to lessen the tortures of the 
disease. Truly the condition of women in Persia, 
bad enough at the best of times, becomes terrible in 
times of sickness and epidemic, and should appeal 
to the love and sympathy of all Christian women. 
It is small wonder that to such people, needy, help- 
less, neglected, the coming of the medical mission 
ary, with power to alleviate suffering and cure dis- 
ease, seems like the coming of some angelic mes- 
senger. I think that if ever Christianity is to have 
any great and widespread influence in Persia it will 
be through the medium of the medical missionary, 
and lady medical missionaries in Mohammedan 
countries are almost indispensable from the fact that 
men are not permitted to see the faces of the women. 

Are there not some who read this little booklet 
whose hearts will go out to the women of Persia 
and who as they read of their sisters living and 
dying under such circumstances, and hear the voice 
of the Christ who died for the Persian woman as 
well as the American woman saying, "Whom shall 
I send?" will answer, ''Here am I, send me!" 



CHAPTER VL 

The Harem. 

The Harem or Hareem, called in different places 
also the haramgah, mahallsarai and zananah, is the 
portion of the Mohammedan household set apart for 
the use of the women. The Koran requires that Mo- 
hammedan women shall not have any fellowship 
with any men other than their husbands, or such 
male relatives as are so near of kin to them that for 
tl'is reason there is no possibility of their marrying. 
Under these circumstances it is imperative that 
some provision be made for a lady to entertain her 
friends, and such provision is found in the Harem. 

The women's apartments are arranged around 
an open courtyard. The apartments themselves 
consist of long halls divided off for privacy not by 
doors but by thick, heavy curtains between the pil- 
lars of the halls, light and air being admitted only 
from that side of the apartment facing the court- 
yard. During the day the bedsteads are arranged 
at the back of these apartments, but at night are 
placed for repose in any position in the apartments 
or courtyard that may be selected. Chairs and 
tables are never used unless on the occasion of a 
visit by Europeans, the usual custom being to re- 
cline on the carpets or rugs spread upon the floor. 
To people accustomed to the freedom of the western 

22 



countries tlie seclusion of these Eastern women 
seems a great hardship, but they themselves do not 
count it , so. Accustomed from infancy through 
many generations to seclusion they accept it as part 
of their life and have no wish to depart from it. 
From the time a girl is four years old she is kept 
rigidly in seclusion, both mother and nurse taking 
great pains to accomplish this, and thus brought up 
the women of the East look upon it as a disgrace to 
be seen unveiled by men. 

Though secluded from male company the Persian 
woman is permitted almost unlimited female com- 
pany and as a consequence parties and visits be- 
tween the ladies are of very frequent occurrence. 

At these times of festivity the harem presents a 
scene of life and gaiety. The usual quietness and 
bareness of the apartments gives way to bustle and 
the buzz of conversation. Brilliantly dressed women 
mingle in the halls and the playing of the children 
and the jeweled figures of the women present a very 
pleasing spectacle to the eye. 

When paying these visits the women do not go alone. 

All ladies who pretend to any position in society 
have, in addition to their slaves and domestics, from 
two to ten female companions, and on the occasion 
of their paying visits they always take at least one 
of these with them, together with two or three 



slaves, as no visitor expects the servants of the 
hostess to wait upon her. 

On the occasion of very large parties not only the 
halls are occupied but the open courtyard also, and 
when this is done shelter from the weather is pro- 
vided by awnings of white calico. 

As these visits usually last at least three days 
provision has to be made for the sleeping of the 
guests, but in Persia that does not mean very much 
preparation. Bedsteads are never provided for the 
guests, who recline by day and sleep by night on 
the carpets with which the floor has been strewn. 

The kitchen of the harem is not large enough to 
provide food sufficient for these parties, and so the 
greater part of the meals is provided by caterers 
who make a livelihood out of this trade, the choicest 
dishes only being cooked by the servants of the 
harem. 

As in private homes the meals are eaten while 
seated round a cloth spread on the floor. No knives 
or forks are used, all food being conveyed to the 
mouth with the fingers. Both before and after 
meals the fingers and mouth are rinsed in water, 
and to eat without this ceremony would be consid- 
ered uncleanly. After meals the huggah or pipe is 
brought out and smoked, for almost all females 
smoke in Persia. 

24 



Only two meals a day are taken in the harem, the 
first at from 10 to 12 o 'clock, followed by a sleep of 
two or three lionrs, and the second twelve hours 
from the first, after which all sleep until near the 
dawn of day. 

Speaking of the life of the zanana of India, which 
strongly resembles the Harem, someone has given 
the following testimony: 

'^I have sometimes passed an hour or two in wit- 
nessing these innocent amusements, without any 
feeling of regret for the brief sacrifice of time I 
have made. * * * At first I pitied the apparent 
monotony of their lives; but this feeling has worn 
away by intimacy with the people, who are thus pre- 
cluded from mixing generally with the world. They 
are happy in their confinement; and never having 
felt the sweets of liberty, would not know how to use 
the boon if it were granted them. As the bird from 
the nest immured in a cage is both cheerful and 
contented, so are those females. They have not, it 
is true, many intellectual resources, but they have 
naturally good understandings, and having learned 
their duty, they strive to fulfil it. So far as I have 
had any opportunity of making personal observa- 
tions on their general character, they appear to me 
obedient wives, dutiful daughters, affectionate 

25 



mothersi and iiiistresses, jsineere friends and liberal 
benefactresses to the distressed pobr. These are 
their 'moral qnalifications, and in their religious du- 
ties, they are zealous in perfoi^ming the several 
ordinances which they have been instructed by their 
parents or husbands to observe. ... crn ', 

^'To ladies accustorried from infahey to coiifihe- 
ment, this kind of life is by no meaii^ irisoihe; they 
have their employments and their f^niusements, a;nd 
though these ar^ not exactly to opr taste, nor suited 
to oui* mode of education, they .are not the less 
relished, by those for whom they were invented. 
TJaey perhaps wonder equally at some of our modes 
of dissipating time, and fancy we might spend it 
more profitably. Be that as it may, the Moslem 
ladies,: with whom I have long been intimate, appear 
to me always happy, contented, and satisfied with 
the seclusion to which they were born ; they desire 
no other, and I have ceased to regret they cannot 
be made partakers of that freedom of intercourse 
with the world we deem so essential to our happi- 
ness, since their health suffers nothing from that 
confinement, by which they are preserved from a 
variety of snares and temptations; besides which, 
they would deem it disgraceful in the highest degree 
to mix indiscriminately with men who are not rela- 
tives. They are educated from infancy for retire- 

26 



ment, and they can liave no wish that the custom 
should be changed which keeps them apart from the 
society of men who are not very nearh^ related to 
them. Female society is unlimited, and that they 
enjoy without restraint." 

In spite of this testimony, Christian American 
women, remembering the helplessness of their Per- 
sian sisters in time of sickness; their close confine- 
ment ; their lack of education ; their subordinate po- 
sition in the home ; and their ignorance of anything 
outside their own homes, will surely spare a thought 
of pity and a prayer to the Grreat Father that some 
day in His good time some ray of light from West- 
ern Christianity will shine into the darkness of their 
lives, that they may be able to take the place that 
Grod intended for them, when He said "It is not good 
that the man should be alone. I will make him an 
helpmeet for him." 

CHAPTEE VII. 

Customs. 

making love and marriage in persia by the assy- 
RIANS. 

In the world at large the children are reared up 
to manhood and womanhood playing and associatr 
ing more or less together. In Persia when the boys 
are over 12 or 13 years of age they are strictly for- 

27 



bidden to speak to unmarried women. But when 
they reach the age of 15 years they are encouraged 
to get married. From 15 to 18 is the customary age 
for boys to marry. 

The way a young man finds his bride to be is 
chiefly by attending the picnics or carnivals which 
take place four or five times each year. To these 
carnivals both young and old go, enjoying them- 
selves by playing, dancing and making love. There 
the young man looks for a girl and when he sees 
one who attracts his attention more than the others, 
he inquires of near friends who she is, and her par- 
ents' names and possessions. He may have cour- 
age to introduce himself to her and speak a few 
words, though often no words are spoken. He goes 
home and for some weeks his mind is occupied by 
thoughts of the young lady, his love for her, and his 
hope of marrying her. 

In the olden time when writing was unknown a 
messenger or mediator was used in making love. 
Now it is in the up-to-date fashion of writing let- 
ters. For some time after their mutual love is known, 
it is kept secret from the parents. Then in some 
way, either through his uncle or by letter, the boy 
reveals it to his father, who enquires the name of 
the young lady and whether his son loves her. The 
son in great embarrassment tells the names of the 

28 



girl and her parents. If the girl's parents should 
be poorer financially than the boy's parents, the 
latter may object, yet if the boy continues to love 
the girl and will not give her up, his parents may 
give their consent. After a while the boy's father 
sends a messenger to the girl's home to ask if they 
would give their daughter to the messenger's 
friends' son. This question is not put while the 
girl is in the house, for it is a custom in Persia when 
visitors call that the children and servants go to 
another apartment or out of the house while the vis- 
itor presents his petition. 

When the messenger comes he is well treated and 
partakes of a lunch, after which he presents his re- 
quest. The parents up to this time know nothing 
of their daughter being in love. They therefore re- 
quest time for consideration, saying, ^'In two weeks 
we will answer." If such an answer is given to the 
messenger there is hope for the boy, but if they say, 
^^Our girl is not fit to be your boy's wife," there is 
no hope. If the former answer is given the mes- 
senger brings the information to the boy's father, 
who then patiently awaits the set time. In the 
meantime the girl's father gets all the information 
he can concerning the boy, his character and moral 
life, and whether he is a Christian and also about 
his j)arents and their standing in the community, 

29 



and if these enquiries prove satis^factory, all is well. 
The day before the answer is to be given the father 
asks the girl what she wants for a wedding gift, the 
kind of dress, etc. When the messenger comes the 
next day, after some preliminary talk, he repeats 
the question of marriage. 

The answer is still not given, only a further re- 
quest is made that the girl wants from the boy's 
parents one gold ring, one silver ring, twO' earrings, 
one pair of new shoes, one silver belt and one silk 
head garment. The son and father gladly purchase 
these articles as a wedding present, yet even then it 
is not settled definitely that the wedding shall occur, 
as the girl has been absent while the negotiations 
have taken place, only once having been asked what 
she wanted for her wedding present. In case she 
does not love she says so to her father at that time, 
but if the father likes the boy and his parents suit 
him, he commands her to marry, sometimes bringing 
in some relatives and neighbors who also favor the 
boy to persuade her to marry, though this latter 
is seldom necessary as correspondence has taken 
place before between the young people. The boy's 
father sends a message to the girl's father that he 
will come over to his home some evening (the date 
is set). Then the boy's father calls some of his near 
relatives to go with him. The girl's father has also 



invited some of his kinsmen to be present on the 
occasion. : . \ 

Wlien they meet a general introduction takes 
place. They are then seated for supper, first hav- 
ing a merry time. After the meal everybody leaves 
the room but the visitors and the parents of the girl. 
Then the girl's father asks, ''What may be your re- 
quest?" The. boy's father says, ''May I have your 
daughter for my son's wife?" The girl's father an- 
nounces this to his relatives present. Then the jDros- 
pective father-in-law asks personalh^ each of the 
girl's kinsfolk for their consent, which is nearly al- 
ways given. When the mother is asked she slowly 
and in a low voice replies, "Yes." The father, being 
the last to be asked, answers firmly, ''Yesf' 

After the father has given his consent the rela- 
tives on the boy's side all clap hands and rejoice 
because the girl now belongs to them. Then one ;of 
the boy 's relatives kisses all the girl 's relatives — who 
are present — on their hands. Then the boy's father 
presents his gifts bought for the wedding, besides 
some candy called " sweetnight, " meaning happi- 
ness. The pastor (who is always present at such 
feasts) takes the wedding ring and two witnesses, 
giving the ring to one of them and saying "Take this 
ring to the girl (avIio at that moment is at a neigh- 
bor's home) and say, 'We have now come to tell 
you that you are given in marriage and we present 



the wedding ring/ ^' If she does not love the boy she 
refuses to accept the ring, but if she does love, she 
receives the ring as a sign, but she does not speak 
a word. The next moment she returns the ring, 
which is brought to the minister, and he asks Grod^s 
blessing upon the union, after which all go to their 
homes. 

During the following days the parties on both 
sides consult each other as to the wedding arrange- 
ments and gifts. All wedding gifts (cloth) to the 
girl, are bought by the father-in-law to be, the amount 
varying according to his financial ability, though 
the usual cost of a wedding is from $100 to $200. 

The mother of the girl presents her daughter with 
many home-made articles, such as rugs, bedcloth, 
etc. All gifts bought for the wedding are first de- 
livered at her home, where the dressmaker and 
tailor prepare her dresses, etc. When all is ready, 
the wedding day is announced. One or two days be- 
fore the wedding the father of the boy sends a man 
with a drum and flute, beating the drum and piping 
the flute all around the village, announcing the wed- 
ding. In a short while a number of people (men, 
women and boys), are gathered to supper in the 
bridegroom's home. After supper the floor is clear- 
ed of its rugs, carpets, etc., and dancing is carried 
on until 4 o'clock in the morning, after which they 

^2 



go home to sleep. At 8 or 9 a. m. the drum and flute 
are again sounded throughout the village. This 
calls out a number of young men dressed in their 
best with guns, and two or three rigged carriages. 
These men go to the girl's home to bring her to the 
wedding. When they reach her home, they shout, 
sing, dance and beat the drum, announcing their 
arrival. The bride is dressed in her best clothes 
and before she leaves the house is veiled so that 
none can see her face. She is escorted by two ladies 
to a horse which she is to ride. While tarrying 
outside her door the young men toss money upon 
her head, signifying riches. The party then marches 
to the wedding place, having sent a messenger in 
advance to announce their coming. Wlien she ar- 
rives at the boy's door he goes up on the roof with 
ten other young men where he is treated with wine 
and apples are given him. These apples he lightly 
tosses down to the girl while still on horseback. The 
significance of this action is as follows : When Adam 
was in Eden he was tempted by Eve to eat apples 
from the forbidden tree. Now the bridegroom 
throws the apples back to her, saying he is free. 
After this ceremony the bride is helped down from 
the horse and led into a neighbor's house. 

That same night again the drum and flute repeat 
their rounds of the village, calling the people the 

33 



third time, and supper is served to all who come. 
After supper the bridegroom receives gifts from the 
guests, the value of these gifts sometimes amount- 
ing to several hundreds of dollars. Then all the 
people go home. 

The next morning, the third day, the wedding 
couple with the minister march to church, where 
they stand before the minister during the ceremony. 

The usual questions are put to the couple. To seal 
the act the groom takes the wedding ring and puts 
it on one of the girl's fingers. Then the wedding is 
over and all go home, but for the next few days 
callers come in hundreds to see the wedding gifts. 

I^h^ bride does not speak to any callers, not even 
to her father-in-law. If he asks her a question she 
answers by a gesture and is always veiled. This 
lasts for but six weeks or two months and then she 
is, more free and settles down to the regular routine 
of her married life. 

'^'' '■ " -■ FtjNEEALs IN Persia. 



latere are only a few hospitals in Persia and 
whep any. get sick they prefer to stay at home, some 
absolutely refusing to be sent to the hospital or to 
take any medicine, except that which is homemade. 
M ihe sickness increases and there is much pain 
they may call for: ;the doctor, who often finds after 

34 



a diagnosis of the case that it is too late to do any- 
thing. The common diseases are kidney trouble, 
liver trouble, sore eyes, rheumatism, consumption, 
heart trouble, indigestion and fever (typhoid), with 
a few other lesser complaints such as we have in 
America (headache, etc). The sick one lies during 
the winter in the room which is used for the kitchen, 
dining room, parlor and bedroom, but in the sum- 
mer the rest of the household sleep on the roof, giv- 
ing the sufferer more rest. During sickness the 
neighbors make visits and talk with the sick, often 
for hours, and when some go others come, making 
it a torture rather than comfort for the invalid. 
The mother is the nurse and she looks after her pa- 
tient's comfort, while others look for his pain. 

During the hot summer days the mother fans 
and gives cold water to the suffering. If she is 
a Christian she often kneels at the bedside pray- 
ing to the merciful Father for her sick one. AA^ien 
the end has come the near relatives of the sufferer 
gather together and weep and mourn with the pa- 
rents. Often even the people in the village stop 
working and come to mourn, showing their sympa- 
thy with the bereaved ones. It is really part of their 
religion to help mourn for the dead. If it is the 
husband who has died the wife and children sit 
close around the corpse weeping. Then all the 

35 



dead person's clothes are laid on the corpse, from 
which is taken one garment by the mother who 
presses it to her bosom crying hysterically. If any 
other member of the family has died before, their 
clothes are also brought forth and wept over. This 
weeping and sobbing continues all day. 

If death occurs in the morning the burial is at 
night ; if death occurs at evening or night the burial 
is the next day. A corpse is not kept over 24 hours 
at home. There are no undertakers to conduct the 
funerals, this thing being attended to by the family 
and neighbors. When a man dies two old men pre- 
pare the corpse in the casket. When a woman dies 
two old women undertake this office. The casket is 
painted either black or red, as desired. When all 
is ready the minister sings a few verses of a sympa- 
thetic song and says a few words of sympathy. The 
funeral procession is headed by a band of singers 
with four young men carrying the casket on their 
shoulders, then the relatives and friends follow in 
a long procession. The coffin is first taken to the 
church, where the pastor preaches a sermon for the 
living. When the sermon is over he asks the people 
to testify as to the life and character of the de- 
ceased, after which the cover is lifted off the cas- 
ket, giving the mourners a chance to take a last look 
at the deceased. The parents and near relatives 

36 



kiss him good bye. After the lid is put on the cor- 
tege proceeds to the cemetery. On the way, about 
two blocks from the church, the procession stops 
for a few moments, again viewing the remains. (I 
remember while at home a young man died and on 
the way to the burial, a cousin took soft mud in her 
hands and put it on her head to show her grief.) 
After a few minutes' rest the procession continues 
its way to the cemetery, which is always near the 
village. At the graveside the casket is decked with 
sticks across the cover and green grass on the top. 
This takes the place of flowers. When the casket 
is lowered into the grave the minister sings softly 
and reads the usual formula, ''From earth to earth, 
and from earth again." Then all the people pres- 
ent take some earth and put it in the grave, the 
minister speaks a few words of encouragement to 
the sorrowing ones and the people also show their 
sympathy by shaking hands with the bereaved. 
Then all go back to the house for supper. The next 
day the neighbor women come for dinner and to 
show their sympathy. 

The bereaved wear black clothes for about two 
months. Tw^ce during the first year after death 
the parents or relatives bring bread and clothes of 
the deceased to the grave and leave them there for 
whosoever w^ants them. A monument of engraved 

37 



stone, with the name, date of birth and date of 
death, on it, is placed on the grave, to keep fresh 
the memory of the departed. > 

CHAPTER VIII. 

' The Religions of Persia. 

Previous to the entrance of Christian missions, 
Persia had four or tive different religions, all of 
which had a larger or smaller following. These re- 
ligions included Nestorianism, Devil-worshippers, 
Fire- worshippers and Mohammedans. 

The Nestoeians number some 75,000. Their re- 
ligion is a corrupted Christianity. The founder, 
Nestorius, was a prominent man in the early Chris- 
tian Church, but strayed from the truth, contend- 
ing that Jesus Christ was not one Person, human 
and divine, but two persons, God' dwelling in human 
flesh, and that only the human body died, not the 
Grod-man, thus denying the power of the atonement. 

The Deviij- Worshippers worship the Devil him- 
self just as we worship Christ. Their prayers are 
addressed to him and their hopes based on him. 
Their beliefs are to the Christian very strange. 
They believe that originally there was but one God, 
who created the earth. After this he divided and 
formed beside himself six other gods, who are — the 
sun, the moon, the morning and evening twilight, the 

38 



morning star, the evening star and the seven planr 
ets. These seven gods then created the angels. In 
time the angel created by the origin'al god rebelled 
and was cast, out of heaven, but repenting, Wept so 
bitterly over his sin and showed such ; evident con- 
trition that the god forgave him and 'restored him 
to Paradise, where he showed such zeal in doing 
good that he came to find more favor in the eyes of 
the god than all the others, and so : was made 
greater than them, and called — Melek Taus. ,In some 
ways their beliefs of the beginning of the world 
correspond with those of the Christian faith, but 
there is very much untruth also in them. They be- 
lieve that when Jesus hung on the Cross He did not 
really die but was taken by this Melek-Taus to 
heaven, where they two and God now form the- trin- 
ity. This will explain why they at present worship 
the devil, for in their estimation he is one now with 
the Father and the Son. 

These devil-worshippers are densely ignorant, it 
being a part of their religious belief that it is dan- 
gerous and sinful to read any books at all. The 
only ouQ pf the sect who can read is the head of the 
sect, and, ]\e is taught the Arabic language. A copy 
of the Kor,an is used for this purpose, but even then 
only wiith great precautions. One very important 
^art of; their beliefs is that it i^ the grossest siii for 

39 



anyone to speak or hear the name of Satan, and as 
that name appears in the Koran, a friendly Chris- 
tian is pressed into service who covers it up with 
wax wherever it occnrs. If in spite of this precau- 
tion, the name is visible when the lesson is being- 
given the whole book is promptly shut up and 
burned and a new copy obtained. 

The devil-worshippers only have one sacred book, 
the original, and even that they do not understand, 
their belief in this particular being that it never 
can be understood until the Devil comes again and 
makes it plain. It is guarded with the greatest care. 

The cock is sacred to these people because they 
believe that to be the form the Devil takes, and their 
sacred images of him are in this shape. 

^^Devil-worship'' is one of the blackest of heathen 
religions, bringing ignorance and countenancing 
violence. 

The Fire-Worshippees — called ''Guebres" (or 
ungodly) by the Mohammedans, number about 15,- 
000. They are the followers of Zoroaster, who is 
believed by many to have lived in Persia and there 
to have founded the religion that bears his name. 
In fact in the vicinity of Urmia are found hills 
of ashes which are supposed to mark the places of 
worship. The god of the sect is fire and they ac- 
cordingly worship the sun and moon and treat all 

40 



fire with respect. Unlike most heathen religions 
they teach a degree of equality for the women. They 
are educated and polygamy is forbidden unless 
after nine years of married life no children have 
been born, when the husband is allowed to take an- 
other wife. Divorce is forbidden and adultery and 
fornication are very severely punished. In great 
contrast to the ^'devil-worshippers "they set very 
high store on education, every parent doing his 
best to give his children a good education. 

Mohammedanism has by far the largest number 
of followers of any religion of Persia. 

It is believed to have been in Persia that Mo- 
hammed lived and instituted the religion that bears 
his name. Born in 571 A. D., his early history is 
very interesting. His father died before his birth, 
and he was raised by a tribe of Bedouins until he 
reached the age of ^ve years. Then he was restored 
to his relatives and found a home, after the death 
of his mother, first with his grandfather and later 
with his uncle. In his early manhood he often ac- 
companied his uncle's caravans on their distant 
journeys and thus came in touch with the outside 
world, and had the impressions of Christianity left 
on his mind by his visits to so-called Christian coun- 
tries been such as they should have been, the founder 
of the religion which has been and is one of the 



greatest foes to Christianity in the world " might 
have been instead a faithful soldier of the Cross. 
As it was, however, the Christian Church was torn 
asunder in those early days by bitter doctrinal dis- 
putes, and even in those places where these disputes 
did not have so much effect, there was deadness and 
formality in the Church instead of life and reality, 
and into the heart of the young Mohammed was in- 
stilled a hatred of the apparent emptiness and sham= 
of the Christian faith. At about 25 years of age he 
married a wealthy widow who proved to be a most 
devoted and loving wife for him, and a true help- 
meet in his life. Later in life he and his wife spent 
many a lonely vigil in the rocky, barren mountains 
surrounding Mecca and here Mohammed claims to. 
have received many direct revelations from God. 
These revelations in course of time were brought 
together in one volume called the Koran, which is 
the "Bible" of the Moslems, and is counted by them 
as the authority on all matters, the laws of the 
country being based upon it, as well as the' religious 
laws of the sect. The Koran, however, was proba- 
bly not completed until after his death. 

Eejected at first by his countrymen, Mohammed 
persevered and in time he found himself surrounded 
by an ever-increasing number of adherents. His 
method of adding converts was bloody in the ex- 



treme. His enemies he sought to utterly destroy 
and the sword was carried into their cities and vil- 
lages. By this means also he increased in wealth 
and possessions. In 630 he had attained such a po- 
sition of power that he captured the city of Mecca, 
thereafter the sacred city of Islam, and here, at 
the age of 61, he died. 

He was bitter in his hatred of enemies, as is 
strikingly evident from his treatment of them, as 
mentioned above. Not being able to bridle his lust- 
ful passions, he had overstepped the number of 
wives allowed (in all he married 11 wives) to the 
faithful, but to cover this he had inserted in the 
Koran a special permission for himself to marry 
as many wives as he pleased. It is strange that 
men should consent to be bound by a religion, the 
founder of which even did not submit to its teach- 
ings and requirements. How great a difference, as 
we look at this brief sketch of his life, is seen be- 
tween the bloody, licentious life of the '^Prophet of 
God," as he called himself, and the lowly life of 
Jesus of Nazareth, and how pure and beautiful our 
Lord's life stands out in contrast with such a life 
as Mohammed's. Reader, if you have never yet 
settled the question, "A¥hat think ye of Christ!" 
think of it now as you contrast His claims and His 
life with the claims and life of the great heathen 

43 



leader of men, and contrast with the sword of Islam 
the gentle words of the Christ, ''Take my yoke 
upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly 
in heart." 

After the death of Mbhammed Islam spread far 
and wide under its victorious armies and nation af- 
ter nation was forced at the point of the sword to 
accept its teachings. By the fourteenth century it 
had taken possession of southeastern Europe, north 
Africa, western Asia and had even spread as far 
as India, and even to-day, tho' in a less bloodthirsty 
way, it is extending its teachings southward in 
Africa. 

''Islam," the name given to the religion by its 
followers, means "full submission to God." 

The main points of difference between Islam and 
Christianity are as follows : 

1. God. — Mohammedans believe in One God as 
Creator and Mohammed as His Prophet. 

This is a flat denial of the Christian doctrine of 
the trinity of God, and ignores the atoning merits 
of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Ghost. 

2. Doctrine. — Mohammedans believe that Mo- 
hammed is the sole Controller of all things, both on 
earth and in heaven; that he governs sickness and 
health, war and peace, etc. 



Cleansing the hodj from its pollution cleanses tlie 
soul also from its sin. 

3, Prayer. — Mohammedans pray four or five 
times a day in a lonely place or under a tree, al- 
ways with their faces turned toward Mecca. 

4. Faith. — Every Mohammedan believes that at 
death he goes to heaven while all who do not believe 
are destined to hell. As a natural result of their 
religion Mohammedans look down with contempt on 
people of all other beliefs. 

In Persia a Christian native has very much of 
persecution to bear. He is termed '' infidel," 
^^ Christian dog." The best Christian is considered 
inferior to the meanest M-ohammedan, and his word 
has less weight in a Court of Justice. Should a 
Christian be struck by a Mohammedan he dare not 
retaliate for fear of his life. Christian reader, spare 
a prayer for your brethren in Christ living under 
such conditions as these ! 

Christianity. — In 1834 a Mr. Thomas attempted 
to found a mission in Persia, but owing to the hos- 
tility of the Mohammedans his attempt proved a 
failure. Later, in 1871, the door was partly opened 
and missionaries entered and began work there only 
to find a country which was in absolute spiritual 
darkness. Once in the country, however, their lives 
gradually began to tell on the natives, and little by 



little they won the interest and esteem of some of 
them, who later took the stand as Christians in spite 
of the persecutions through which they had to pass. 
Their lives in turn showed such a remarkable change 
after their conversion that they influenced their 
friends and neighbors, and so in face of the opposi- 
tion of its enemies Christianity spread in the coun- 
try. 

Among the Christian denominations now repre- 
sented in Persia, the following are the most num- 
erous : 

Roman Catholics, with 14,000 members. 

Greek Catholics. 

Presbyterians, with 6,000 members. 

Lutherans, with 1,500 members. 

Baptists, with 800 members. 

So that, counting the Roman Catholics (but not 
the Greek Catholics, of which body I have no fig- 
ures) there are 22,300 Christian Church members in 
Persia, or one to every 450- of the people, while the 
proportion of Protestant Church members is one to 
every 1,200 of the people. 



46 



THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION— TO MEN. 
COME TO JESUS. 

1. Matthew 11, 28-30. Come unto me, all ye that labour and 
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, 
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall 
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is 
light. 

John 3; 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life. 

John 6; 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; 
and him that eometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 

GO, PREACH GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD. 

Matthew 28, 19-20. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 
I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto 
the end of the world. Amen. 



47 



JUN 3 1909 



CONCLUSION. 

Reader, you have perused these pages and have 
in your mind some faint picture of the condition of 
my country. Can you look at that picture without 
your heart being stirred with pity for these mil- 
lions of my countrymen living in darkness! While 
Jesus lived on earth it was said of Him ''When He 
saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion 
on them because they fainted and were scattered 
abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." That is a 
picture of my countrymen today. "The harvest 
truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray 
ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will 
send forth laborers into His harvest." 

"What if your own were starving. 
Famishing, needy, in pain, 
And yet you knew where golden grew 

Rich fruit and ripened grain. 
Would you turn aside, while they gasped and 
died, 
And leave them 'mong the slain? 



48 






^•'"0:1, 



.^ ^r^^. 



.y ^.. 










*. '^Ot? :Smi^-^ ■^•^0* «>!^^ia-. "^oV* 



»?^^. 




} J"^ 







-1-' vi.0' V*^'',** "q.. **rr;-'^o^ v**^ 




>*.i:i.'»% 



•* >l^Lr* 













> %. 



\A 



j^*^ 

v^ 






V ^o 
















O <L*l«3<v 




i°-n^. 



• ^*^ ^O '^'^f'"* ^ '**- SI^^o* .■«-' 



■^0' 

.' ^^^°- 













HECKMAN 

BINDERY INC. 

.^ FEB 91 



